Raul Ruiz win tells story of Election 2012

If the growing sway of Latinos in American politics was the story of election 2012, Raul Ruiz’s triumph in California’s 36th Congressional District was a dramatic subplot.

The son of migrant farmworkers who scraped his way through UCLA and then Harvard Medical School, Ruiz dislodged Rep. Mary Bono Mack, a 14-year fixture of the Republican Conference who didn’t seem to fully appreciate the district’s fast-growing Hispanic population until it was too late.

Text Size

Graham to Romney: ‘Stop digging’

McCarthy: Dems not on same page

Now Ruiz will join the Democratic Caucus, which Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi noted with pride last week will have more minorities and women combined than white men.

“More than anything, it’s a reflection of America,” Ruiz, 40, told POLITICO during freshman orientation last week. “It’s a reflection of changing times that people are electing folks they feel are competent and will represent the issues and values of the country as a whole.”

Political handicappers scoffed at Ruiz’s chances when the emergency room doctor launched his campaign: Bono Mack was too well-known in the district, and Ruiz had never run for office.

But Ruiz pounced on Bono Mack’s support for Rep. Paul Ryan’s controversial Medicare reform plan. And he rallied the district’s growing Latino population — Hispanics make up more than a quarter of registered voters and 47 percent of the population overall — to help lift him to a narrow victory.

Ruiz also highlighted his deep roots in the district and undeniably impressive life story.

The son of poor farmworkers, he lived in a trailer for a time as a boy and left home at 17 for UCLA. To help pay for college, he went store to store asking business owners to invest in their community by investing in his education. He raised $2,000 — enough to pay for books for two years — promising he would eventually return to the area to give back.

Ruiz went on to earn three degrees from Harvard, including his M.D., before working as an ER doctor at a nonprofit hospital. He organized free health education for poorer communities, helped start a free clinic for the uninsured, launched a mentorship program for aspiring doctors and became a senior associate dean at UC-Riverside School of Medicine.

The GOP has a problem on its hands, and it isn't just limited to the Latino community. With each statement they make, from gifts to french kisses to rape to the 47%, they distance themselves further and further from the real American electorate, a celebration of diversity.

Hopefully, the GOP will change their ways and cast aside decades of preying on prejudices and peccadilloes and welcome the amazing character of the American people in all its diversity.

Its not just the guns and religion that the GOP clings to...its the notion that everyone who doesn't think like them, or look like them, is somehow unamerican. Talk radio feeds them a constant diet of hate, and I don't see how a party with that as its base can ever reach out to people of color. Mitt was so afraid of that base, he couldn't even criticize Rush for calling Sandra Fluke a slut.

Congresspeople like Ruiz are the future in states where the population is growing...NM, NV, CO and eventually TX. Get right with history or go out like a Whig.

Yawn. Was this even an article? Ruiz is not the first Hispanic elected to Congress, and not even the first one elected in California. I did not know that Politico was into free campaign advertising, since this is all that this article really is.

Although I'm happy for Raul Ruiz and the citizens of his congressional district, I can't help but wonder if his breathtaking work as a doctor in the community was not more important than anything he might do on Capitol Hill. What a life story, resume and body of work!

Mary Mack's delight in calling a Hispanic-dominated area in her district a "Third World toilet" illustrates the Republican problem. Even if she believed the description to be accurate, as representative of those people her attitude should have been one of grave concern and she should have been busy doing her best to improve conditions for her citizens, not sitting back and deriding them, sneering at them, condescendingly laughing at them and politically dismissing them. Too many Republicans are elitist snobs, more interested in representing the special interests of those that fill their campaign coffers than representing all citizens in their districts. There is nothing "elite" in being a rich person's lackey, a special interest's "gopher" (go for this, go for that) or a big business bootlicker. Republicans need to repent their VIP mindset and realize all citizens in their district and state and country are VIPs.

thank you Dr Ruiz it was time for the taker Mary Bono Mack to leave. She was part of the takers. She voted no on Obamacare because she gets govern paid for health insurance for life even when she leaves office so she never has to worry about pre existing conditions so she voted no for the rest of us. Even her spouse gets coverage for life. Somehow she doesn't worry about us and the rest of Congress have their outrageous salary and health care paid for by the tax payers. By the way the starting salary of a person in congress is almost twice as much as a teacher or police officer which require degrees and/or advance training. Only requirement from Congress is to kiss babies and spew lies.

Graduated magna cum laude at UCLA Became the first Latino to receive three graduate degrees from Harvard University – a Medical Doctorate, a Masters in Public Policy and a Masters in Public Health Dr. Raul Ruiz is not a politician; he is a public servant and physician, dedicated to serving the community.

Above, from his web site...Seems like a poor career move....BTW, Raul, you are a politician...remove that lie from your web site...

This is just the type of candidate and voter the GOP should strive for. BUT it will never happen. The hate and baseless exercise of being better than the Brown immigrant practiced by the GOP base will never allow for such a thing. And that is why the national election wins will continue to evade the GOP. They claim they want this type of voter but in reality they only want the votes and not the people. Its self evident in what is said behind closed doors and when the GOP old establishment get togther. The sharing of that American pie is exclusive according to them and a sliver or better yet crumbs should be plenty for the minorities and other undesirables.

#1 The fact that Bono Mack ignored Latinos "until it was too late" is indicative of the asleep at the wheel mentality of the party as a whole. Moreover, the private email reeks of Romney's 47% and "gifts" comments. Promising to deal with Latino concerns after the election is patronizing in the extreem and reminds me of Popeye's pal proclaiming "I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today."

#2 The sad thing is, the average Fox viewer will stop reading and pitch a hissy fit after finding out that Ruiz took $2000 from local businesses (and surly some financial aid, given his parents' circumstances). In "real America," he would be a "taker," despite the generous and patriotic actions he took after achieving his dream, which would probably be classed as enabling the moochers (what with his free health care and all!).

Consider that Mitt took his multiple Harvard degrees, earned while declining to work since he could live off the shares his father gave him. He then went into the business of sucking money out of dying companies - and yet he is the sort of man the right claims is made of "strong moral fiber" while people like Ruiz are classed as takers because they were unable to take Mitts advice and "borrow from their parents."

Ruiz went on to earn three degrees from Harvard, including his M.D., before working as an ER doctor at a nonprofit hospital. He organized free health education for poorer communities, helped start a free clinic for the uninsured, launched a mentorship program for aspiring doctors and became a senior associate dean at UC-Riverside School of Medicine

Congress can improve its approval ratings by continuing to elect representatives like Ruiz who come from hard-times backgrounds and know what the real America is like. This is a far cry from the wealthy or near wealthy elected reps who have to date dominated the institution.

The rich simply do not know or have forgotten what Americans worry about. It's not about business regulation, overseas deposits, or tax shelters. It's about advancing on the job, mortgage payments, college tuitions, health insurance premiums, utility bills, personal safety, clothing and food on the table, and schools that prepare the children.

Congressman Ruiz like others like him will speak to these issues and cast his votes for the greatest good for the greatest number.

Pay attention America...this great nation is evolving into what has been it's core for decades........a nation of immigrents, run by democratically elected immigrents, and geared to work hormoniously for the good of the people. Capitalism is wounderful, the free market with restraint is marvelous, and a nation that educates, builds, and promotes excellence will remain the greatest nation in the world for generations.

I am so proud to be an American......and proud to have a leader respected by every nation in the world.....Barak Obama.....

If you could get over your blind partisanship for a couple of microseconds, you might read the article and just enjoy a solid American success story for what it is. You might be proud to live in a country where dirt-poor minorities who bust their ass can still get ahead because they try hard, play by the rules, and put some effort into it.

But of course it might just make your head explode that this country isn't the horrible stinking cesspool your FoxTard overlords tell you it is. So you yawn and look for an article that more closely reaffirms your beliefs.

This is the epitome of what just happened in this election. Here in CA those that took their Congressmens position as their's for life while doing NOTHING but party-hearty whenever possible and then flock to the news cameras for their "daily" talking points whenever possible (and that is BEING in DC!) are sitting today wondering what hit 'em. Bono Mack was so sure of her future....she was campaigning in FL with her husband CONNIE MACK! Can you beat that one? Her 14 years was a waste for her district, she rode her deceased husbands coat tails for all these years. I say GOOD RIDDANCE...don't let the door hit you on your way out!